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Day 7 of the 2023 BNP Paribas Open will see the fourth round of the singles tournaments take place. 16 women will battle it out for eight spots in the quarterfinals at Indian Wells.
Reigning champion Iga Swiatek will be up against Emma Raducanu, who has produced some really good tennis over the past few days. Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka has a tough task as she will face Barbora Krejcikova, who beat her in Dubai not long back.
Third seed Jessica Pegula will take on Petra Kvitova while fifth seed Caroline Garcia will be up against last season's quarterfinalist Sorana Cirstea. The likes of Coco Gauff, Maria Sakkari and Elena Rybakina will also be in action in the Round of 16 of the BNP Paribas Open.
On that note, let's take a look at the predictions for some of the big matches that will take place on Day 7 of the WTA 1000 event.
#1 Iga Swiatek vs Emma Raducanu
Defending champion and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will face Emma Raducanu in what will be one of the most highly-anticipated matches of the day. It will be the second meeting between the two, with Swiatek winning their previous clash 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart last year.
Swiatek booked her place in the Round of 16 of the BNP Paribas Open with a 6-3, 7-6(1) win over 32nd seed Bianca Andreescu while Raducanu overcame 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.
Raducanu has played some impressive tennis so far in Indian Wells and this could be a sign of resurgence from the young Brit. However, Swiatek looks formidable at present and the 2021 US Open champion will need a miracle if she is to eliminate her.
Predicted Winner: Iga Swiatek
#2. Aryna Sabalenka vs Barbora Krejcikova
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka will be up against 16th seed Barbora Krejcikova in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. It will be the fourth meeting between the two, with Sabalenka leading 2-1 in the head-to-head. However, Krejcikova won the most recent meeting between the two in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Sabalenka reached the fourth round after her third-round opponent Lesia Tsurenko withdrew from the tournament due to personal reasons. Krejcikova, on the other hand, overcame a tough battle against China's Wang Xinyu, triumphing 6-2, 6-7(1), 6-2 to reach the Round of 16.
Sabalenka has had a great start to this season, winning 14 out of 15 matches so far with the Australian Open to her name. However, her solitary defeat came against Krejcikova, who will be in good spirits after winning her maiden WTA 1000 title at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The match is expected to be a closely-contested affair and if Krejcikova remains calm and composed on the court, there is a fair chance she could book her place in the quarterfinals.
Predicted Winner: Barbora Krejcikova.
#3. Jessica Pegula vs Petra Kvitova
Third seed Jessica Pegula will face 15th seed Petra Kvitova in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. It will be the fifth meeting between the two, with the Czech leading 3-1 in the head-to-head.
Pegula has won both of her matches in Indian Wells so far by coming from a set down. She triumphed 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 over 26th seed Anastasia Potapova to reach the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. Kvitova also had to overcome a tough battle as she beat 24th seed Jelena Ostapenko 0-6, 6-0, 6-4 to book her place in the last 16.
Pegula has won 15 out of 19 matches so far this season, while Kvitova has triumphed in 10 out of 14. The American is the better player of the two when it comes to recent form but the Czech has the lead in the head-to-head.
Kvitova vs Pegula makes for an interesting clash and in the end, whichever player makes fewer mistakes on the court, will probably come out on top.
Predicted Winner: Petra Kvitova.
#4. Maria Sakkari vs Karolina Pliskova
Seventh seed Maria Sakkari will face 17th seed Karolina Pliskova in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. It will be the sixth meeting between the two, with Pliskova leading 3-2 in the head-to-head.
Sakkari booked her place in the fourth round with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over 27th seed Anhelina Kalinina, while Pliskova defeated 11th seed Veronika Kudermetova.
The Greek has won 13 out of 18 matches so far this season but has triumphed in only one out of three matches against players ranked in the top 20 of the WTA Rankings.
Pliskova has a 10-5 win-loss record so far this season and managed to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Sakkari is the higher-ranked player but Pliskova recently beat her 6-1, 6-2 in Dubai. If the Czech can replicate that performance in Indian Wells, she should manage to reach the last eight of the BNP Paribas Open.
Predicted Winner: Karolina Pliskova
#5. Caroline Garcia vs Sorana Cirstea
Fifth seed Caroline Garcia will face Sorana Cirstea in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. It will be the third meeting between the two, with Garcia winning their two previous encounters.
Garcia had to grind out a win in her third-round match against Leylah Fernandez while Cirstea ousted Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-1.
The Frenchwoman has won 17 out of 23 matches this season compared to the Romanian's 5-5 record. However, the latter has looked well so far in Indian Wells and can put up a tough fight if she is at her best.
However, Garcia has the quality and the mentality to get past Cirstea, regardless of what the situation of the match is, and should be able to book her place in the quarterfinals.
Predicted Winner: Caroline Garcia
#6. Coco Gauff vs Rebecca Peterson
Sixth seed Coco Gauff will face Rebecca Peterson in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. It will be the very first meeting between the two on the WTA Tour.
Gauff booked her place in the fourth round of the tournament by beating Linda Niskova 6-4, 6-3 while Rebecca Peterson came back from a set down to defeat Jil Teichmann 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Gauff has had a good start to the season with 13 wins out of 16 matches so far. Peterson has triumphed in six out of seven matches on the WTA Tour in 2023.
The American will enter the match as the favorite to win and should have little trouble beating the Swede.
Predicted Winner: Coco Gauff.
